The Shehuo Child

Name: The Shehuo Child
ISBN: 9787551329934

金步摇Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaJul 2026

3.2

Word count: 60K words
Chapters: 32
ISBN: 9787551329934

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Summary

Centered on the traditional folk shehuo of Huxian County, a Shaanxi provincial intangible cultural heritage item, Shehuo Wa is set in Songjia Village, a typical village in the Guanzhong region, and follows Song Jinrong, a inheritor of the heritage, and his son Song Dalong, the "shehuo boy." In graceful, finely wrought prose, it tells how Song Dalong and other village children love traditional culture and spare no effort to pass on and develop shehuo, a folk parade performance. Through twisting, ingenious plots, it shows their courage, sincerity, and kindness and their growth through setbacks without ever giving up, conveying the spiritual values, ways of thinking, imagination, and cultural consciousness distinctive to the Chinese nation.

Editor's review

Shehuo Wa places Huxian's traditional shehuo—an intangible cultural heritage—within the daily life of Song Family Village, taking the relationship between inheritor Song Jinrong and his son Song Dalong across two generations as its axis, so that "inheritance" is no longer a concept on a display board but the real experience of children rehearsing, arguing, stumbling, and getting back up. The writing is delicate and the plot has ups and downs; it depicts both the bustle and the rules of shehuo parades and the courage, sincerity, and kindness rural children reveal while learning the craft. One of its more valuable aspects is that it does not write intangible heritage as a static relic; through the perseverance of Song Dalong and other children, it shows how tradition is re-understood in the hands of the younger generation. Suitable for parent-child reading or classroom book clubs, it naturally opens discussion of folk culture and rural memory alongside the story; adult readers interested in intangible heritage will also find plain-spoken moving moments.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in intangible cultural heritage and Guanzhong folk customs
Primary and secondary school language teachers and classroom book club organizers
Parents who want to read rural coming-of-age stories with their children
Readers who enjoy rural children's themes and traditional culture narratives

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking complex human-depth analysis or adult-oriented depth
Readers uninterested in folk themes who only like urban stories
Readers needing academic research materials on intangible heritage

Reading tips

Read the chapters about shehuo activities first, then revisit the character relationships to see how the craft moves family emotions.
When reading together, have the child retell one setback Song Dalong encounters and how he responds.
After reading, look up photos or videos of Huxian shehuo to compare the written scenes with the real folk custom.
Teachers can design a short discussion around "should tradition change?" and let students speak their minds.

About the publisher

Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1993

Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House is a professional publisher focused on literature and art. Its publishing areas cover classics, foreign literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, modern poetry, philosophical reading, and social novels. Judging from the books in the database, the press introduces foreign literary classics such as John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, Dostoevsky's The Insulted and Humiliated, Murasaki Shikibu's The Tale of Genji, and the complete novels of Jane Austen, while also publishing essay works such as Xiang Xing Za Ji: Huang Yongyu Illustrated Edition, modern poetry such as Zha Lie Zhi, and philosophical reading such as On the Art of Choice. Its translators and authors include Hu Zhongchi, Shao Quanlin, Feng Zikai, and Li Jihong, reflecting a publishing profile that combines classic translation with domestic literary creation. Due to limited public information, its complete publishing scope and features require further supplementation.

版权信息
作者简介
落选
1
2
3
4
八奶奶说戏
1
2
3
谁扮孙悟空
1
2
3
哑巴戏
1
2
3
4
运动会和胖芭比
1
2
3
4
5
微缩的梦想
1
2
3
4
5

FAQ

What is shehuo? Do I need to know about it before reading?

Shehuo is a common folk parade activity in the Guanzhong region, including costume and procession performances. You can read without knowing about it—the book introduces related customs along with the plot; looking at some photos first will make the scenes more vivid.

What grade level is this book suitable for?

In terms of language and length, it suits upper primary through junior high students; the plot is clear and the characters are distinct. For younger children, parent or teacher accompaniment is recommended to help with the folk background.

Is the intangible heritage inheritance preachy?

Overall the story drives things forward; the idea of inheritance is woven into Song Dalong's concrete experiences of learning, setbacks, and perseverance, so it does not feel preachy. Readers can feel for themselves, through the characters' choices, how hard it is to keep tradition alive.

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About the author

金步摇 Author

Jin Buyao is an author about whom publicly available information is currently limited; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and an English name have not been clearly recorded. According to the library holdings, three works are attributed to this name: Kou Zhun, Weibei Hanzi, and Shehuo Wa. In terms of classification, these works fall into two categories, alternate-continent fiction and social fiction, indicating a considerable range of subject matter, with narratives leaning toward a fantasy world as well as writing close to real social life. Because public information on the author's life and statements about the writing process is lacking, it is difficult to say more about their background or creative development; based on the existing bibliography alone, one can judge that their writing interests are relatively broad and that they move between different kinds of material. Overall, Jin Buyao has produced only a small number of works, and further disclosures are needed before a full picture of their writing can emerge. Readers may begin with the three representative works mentioned above to get a sense of their style.